Purpose Presentation PDF

©GoInnovate! 2015. All Rights Reserved.

Visualize is the first phase of the GoInnovate! Cycle and in this presentation, we’re going to explore the first question in purpose.

This is where you begin to learn and apply the Cycle.

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In 1803 two adventurers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, trekked across 2,000 miles of America’s Western wilderness to explore and to map the vast and largely unknown territory.

During this two-year journey, they encountered a treasure trove of scientific and cultural information, which they shared with the entire civilized world.

They chronicled their findings as a service to future generations who would follow in their pioneering footsteps. Their purpose was to share what they learned with their fellow man.

They stood apart from earlier explorers because of this commitment to a higher purpose. They committed years of their lives, not for money or fame, but to enlarge the knowledge of mankind. This was their purpose.

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Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “He who has a “why” to live can bear almost any “how”.”

We know, on some level, that we want to do inspired things. We didn’t come into life for certainty. We came for adventure!

Think about it. If we’re not on some heroic journey, we read books or watch movies or sports to engage in vicarious “quests”.

The inspiration of a noble purpose inspires us all.

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©GoInnovate! 2015. All Rights Reserved. 4

Animation on Purpose.


There are five phases to the Cycle: Visualize Purpose & Ideal Future, Measure Gaps, Strategize Approaches, Projectize Details and Orchestrate Results. Each phase of the Cycle is unique and actually uses a somewhat different thinking process.

Together, they produce innovative solutions that are ten times more productive than informal and hit and miss efforts.

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There are two parts to the Visualize Phase of the GoInnovate! Cycle – Purpose & Ideal Future.

These define the start and end points of where you want to go and what your results will look like once you get there. They are developed deliberately and in unison.

Clearly defining your Purpose and your Ideal Future provide clarity of direction, also motivation and much-needed commitment, plus help align key stakeholders, thus saving you time, money and energy.


The purpose of this presentation is to explore the power of Purpose.

Purpose is generally the first and most challenging idea to definition. Purpose is the genesis of every innovation in transition.

It's the WHY you do something, the reason, the drive behind your actions, the primary motivation for WHAT and HOW.

Purpose is always a deep subject, and understanding one's Purpose for any action requires intuition, reason and feelings.

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In this presentation:

We will first explore the definition and value of Purpose. Since this is the starting point of the GoInnovate! Cycle, clearly outlining your primary Purpose provides important direction, clarity and motivation.

Then we will discuss the power of Purpose. Purpose is the primary driver of energy and creativity, the starting point of innovation.

After that we will explain how to apply Purpose throughout your transition. You’ll learn how Purpose is related to your Ideal Future, and how important the Visualize phase is.

And we will then talk about the value of shared Purpose. You’ll learn why groups get enormous benefit from defining and buying into a common shared Purpose.

We will also explain the value of Scan – Focus – Go in the process of discovering Purpose.

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There are many advantages to being clear on Purpose.

First, it provides clarity of direction and focus. Without a dynamic definition of your Purpose, you’ll find yourself kind of guessing and thinking around the “edges” of your innovations, rather than knowing the core reason, which will allow you to focus your attention.

Secondly, it provides motivation when things get tough. There will always be unexpected obstacles and resistance. If you’re clear on your Purpose, it will be easier to think and act in alignment with your true desires.

Purpose allows for better synchronization of limited resources. Projects generally become more complex than originally planned. Therefore, knowing your Purpose will allow you to use your time, materials and energy more wisely.

And Purpose guides learning and daily decision-making. Any transition involves a learning process and making fluid decisions along the way. Clarity of Purpose can be a polestar when you are processing new information and having to make tough choices.

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Andrew speaks of defines purpose and how it is different from goals in this short video.

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We define Purpose as the primary inspiration and driving force behind your actions, the “why" that powers the “what” and “how”.

Purpose captures the essence of your intention, the reason you’re pursuing something.

One of the easiest ways to define Purpose as powerfully as possible, is to ask yourself the question, "why", and then keep asking "why" until you can state the Purpose simply and clearly.

If you do this, you will often get a deeper glimpse into your project than you originally had.

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Many times, individuals begin work without capturing the core or primary essence of their innovation: their Purpose.

When you ask the "why" question, you begin to examine more deeply and completely more and different possibilities. Not only does your work become more focused, but your allocation of resources (generally time, money, and people) becomes more focused and more purposeful.

Being clear on the “why” will help you to make decisions at every stage of your project that are more aligned to your primary purpose.

It also will keep you moving towards your desired Future State (the next part of the Visualize phase). If you don’t define and follow a strong, viable Purpose, your efforts will be scattered and less directed. Especially, when we’re in transition, we don’t have time for that.

We’ve all worked on projects that moved “sideways” during their development. They didn’t quite turn out the way we thought. It’s important to be open to new information and feedback along the way, but if we change our purpose randomly (whether it’s because someone gave us a new bright idea, or we realized the project was more difficult than we thought, or for whatever reason), we probably could have invested our time and energy better.

Taking time to define and commit to a clear purpose will save you time, energy and resources. When you begin with Purpose, chances are good that you will end with Purpose, and be both satisfied and motivated to begin your next creative project.

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Everything that takes place in the process of innovation will be more effective if it flows from Purpose.

Purpose shapes the Ideal Future, as well as Measures and Strategies and decisions and actions.

For many, it’s tempting to swing into action prematurely.

Re-visiting your Purpose throughout the planning phase will keep your thinking and actions in alignment throughout all your transitions.

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Knowing the unique Purpose behind your innovations is as beneficial as knowing your vacation destination while packing your suitcase.

Think about it. You’re going on vacation and you’re standing in front of an open suitcase deciding what to pack. You ask yourself: shorts or pants? T-shirts or sweaters? Flip-flops or hiking boots? Without the destination in mind, how could you choose?

Knowing the “why” will help you make better decisions about the “what”, the “when”, the “where” and the “how”.

The truth is that as you journey along the way toward your goals, the situations and circumstances will change from what you expected, and you’ll have to recalibrate and make new decisions en route.

But if you are clear on your purpose, you can be flexible enough to change the means by which you get to the end. But if you change your purpose, then you become like a ship without a rudder, and you won’t be able to predict your destination.

When you know why you’re going, you stand a better chance of getting there.

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Many are clear about their Purpose when they start out, but get lost along the way because they lose connection to it. When you’re in the midst of a transition, a lot of things are going to get re-defined.

When you lose a job, or a significant relationship ends, or your health goes South, that’s the time to really introspect and focus on getting a deeper clarity about your Purpose in that particular area of your life.

Because, remember, transitions have purposes, too! They always demand that we answer the “why” question on a deeper level than we may have in the past.

Just ask yourself: how happy are you in your current career? How satisfied are you with your closest relationships? If you take a look at your life and find that you’re confused about either your professional or personal life, it may be because you need to get more clarity about your Purpose.

Living with Purpose gives you a bigger picture and perspective. Without this larger context, it can be challenging to make important decisions because you can lose inspiration and be unclear how to move toward your goals. Remember, the opposite of clarity is confusion, and we all know that sometimes confusion can degenerate into overwhelm, which is no fun at all.

That’s why the Cycle begins with the most fundamental question…why? Why do you do your daily job? Is it just to make money to support your family? Does your work bring out your passion, creativity and personal strengths? Or…do you feel trapped, bored and frustrated?

Here’s a revealing question: Do you see yourself doing the same job until you retire? If not, there may come a time for change. Answering such questions on a deep and meaningful level is the Purpose of the Cycle!

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Here’s a story about Nancy, who attended one of our programs. Her boss had tried everything to pull Nancy out of a deep negative attitude.

She had become a chronic complainer and a marginal performer. So, her boss sent her and her design team to one of our programs.

And as Nancy was seeking to identify the Purpose of their innovation on a deeper level, she had a breakthrough.

Planning in this new way, Nancy suddenly became engaged, and for the first time saw that their project had real importance.

The Cycle helped her release her creativity, and she ended up making many significant contributions to her team’s thinking.

She even volunteered to present the team’s results to management after our program.

She delivered such a convincing presentation that her team’s solution was accepted with glowing accolades.

Such is the power of a deeper understanding of…Purpose.

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Businesses spend huge amounts of money to define slogans and taglines, but nothing is more important than their Purpose.

Here are a few examples:

3M: to solve unsolved problems innovatively.

Hewlett-Packard: to make technical contributions for the advancement and welfare of humanity.

Nike’s Purpose is very simple: to experience the emotion of competition and winning.

Did you know that the Disney Corporation’s Purpose was to: to make people happy.

Our Purpose is: to make the impossible inevitable!

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Here are some examples from people we’ve worked with personally, examples of the Purpose statements of the Slice-of-Life they were working on.

A really dedicated personal coach defined her Career Purpose: To inspire my clients to reclaim their lives.

A busy surgeon was challenged with juggling his family and his patients, so his Life-Balance Purpose was: To experience a continual state of calmness and peace.

A client who was recently divorced, who was lonely and tired of living alone wanted: To be in a relationship with the person of my dreams.

A businessman, with a business that was stuck stated his Financial Purpose as: to exceed my revenue and profitability goals for the year.

A dynamic lady who seemed to have a history of one illness after another wrote her Heath Purpose as: to have the energy and physical freedom to live my dreams.

A wealthy investor, who wanted to give back, stated her Service Purpose as: to serve others as my larger Self.

A Self-Confidence Purpose was: to fully and effortlessly express my creative power.

A very grounded guy who practiced his spiritual life in a very committed way, wrote his Spiritual Purpose: to more and more consciously express my devotion and divinity.

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Purpose is truly shared when two or more people commit to realize the Purpose together, not just individually.

When people share a Purpose larger than themselves, they often unite and care more deeply about each other as well as the outcomes.

People really will supply more resources when something really matters to them.

The word commitment means much more than just doing or acting in a certain way. It means you’re going to do something, no matter what obstacles arise.

If properly crafted and aligned upon, Purpose and Ideal Future will drive the transition or innovation like nothing else can.

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In this video, Andrew tells the story of how confusion over purpose almost spelled disaster for a family vacation.

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Let’s take a thinking-break for a moment, and just breathe. Mentally call “time-out”, close your eyes and inhale deeply for a count of six. Then, hold your breath for six, and then slowly exhale for 6.

Let’s do it again, use whatever number you’re comfortable with. Deep breathing is the quickest way to push “pause” on your mind. If you can’t suspend thoughts, you can at least you slow them down.

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To write a Purpose statement, remember these four tips:

First, do a Scan - Focus - Go. Write down as many possibilities as you can think of for the Purpose. Then Focus on the best one, or you might even combine pieces of the ones that you drafted as possibilities during your scan.

Purpose statements need to be short and easy to remember, and they begin with the word “to”.

The purpose of the Disney Corporation is: to make people happy. Simple, easy to remember, and starting with the word “to”.

If, at first, you don’t have initial clarity about your Purpose, just keep asking “Why?”

Mentally play with this question, over an over. You don’t need to feel like you’ve got to define it completely or absolutely on the first pass.

You’re going to gather a lot more information as you work on the Cycle, so you will define your Purpose with more clarity as you focus on it over time if it's not clear from the very beginning.

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Check out these two examples of complete GoInnovate! Cycles.

One is a personal Cycle on Life-Balance; the other one depicts using the Cycle to create a business strategic plan.

You will see how one phase of the Cycle leads to the next.

Simply click on the Examples image to download.

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Download your own Cycle worksheets to use for your business and personal Cycles.

Simply click on the image in the center of your screen.

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Here are 3 Tips to help you understand and practice Purpose:

1. Remember: Purpose is the primary inspiration and driving force of action.

2. Make Purpose statements that are short & easy to remember.

3. Check in with your family or your team at work to see if you’re sharing the same Purpose.

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Lewis Carroll wrote, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”

It’s a funny statement, but also a little sad. How many people do you know who are living truly purposeful lives?

Well you’re embarking on a very powerful journey, and you just defined why you are going on it.

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Purpose Presentation PDF

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